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When people talk about bull riding in Del Rio, Tex., two things come to mind. One is the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding, the oldest stand-alone bull riding event in the world, which will celebrate its 34th consecutive performance when the CBR rolls into Del Rio this May. The other rodeo icon synonymous with Del Rio is bull riding’s original rock and roll wild child, Bad Company Rodeo.

When Bad Company owner, Mack Altizer, started out as a stock contractor over 30 years ago, the rodeo industry was a different world. The cowboys competed for little, bulls weren’t superstars or fan favorites and brass bands set the musical tone of the show. Then came Bad Company Rodeo. As a rodeo competitor and cowboy himself, Mack wanted to put together a production both cowboys and fans would be excited to attend.

Top bulls, more prize money and the most electric atmosphere in all of rodeo was the recipe of Bad Company’s success. Instead of the standard brass band music of the day, Bad Company began blasting rock and roll anthems over huge loud speakers. A Bad Company rodeo was part Wild West show, part AC/DC concert.

Photographer Dave Jennings toured with Bad Company and witnessed the revolution Bad Company created within the sport of bull riding. “Mack saw it as more of a total entertainment package than just a rodeo,” Dave says.

For fans, that entertainment package started with music they could relate to. “The crowd didn’t expect it but then it made rodeo something cool to do again. We were trying to draw the 14 to 22-year-old crowd back, which rodeo had lost at the time, and it worked. How interesting would events like the CBR or PBR Finals be with a brass band? We were bored with it and we figured if we were bored with it, everybody else probably was too,” Dave says.

Mack says the music affected the bull riders in the same way as the fans. “When the bull riders would get there they were already in the mood. Every bull rider will tell you they ride better at the events where the music’s good,” Mack says.